Was wondering what you do, if anything, for protection of your lower leg, especially around the ankle region. I adopted five fingers into my life a couple years ago now, and use them for most outdoor athletic activities. I haven't touched traditional running shoes since I put those on; I kayak in them as well; and have done numerous day hikes wearing them. I find them incredibly comfortable to use (especially in wet conditions - welcome to the Appalachian River, right?) and have been seriously considering them as my main footwear for my upcoming thruhike this season. But so far my hiking experience in them has been on fairly wide trails with minimal undergrowth, or in early spring/late fall when there are fewer low lying plants teeming maliciously with blood sucking parasitic arthropods.
As anyone who's seen them knows, even the most fully-covering models leave the ankles prominently exposed - I was wondering if anyone has a solution for keeping the ticks out. I was thinking of modifying mine with some sort of gaiter-like attachments. I'm curious if anyone here has tried something similar or, failing that, could you cradle me gently with words of wisdom? I suppose this query extends to those of you who hike in sandals, flipflops, crocs, or *gasp* barefoot. Do you worry about them Lyme-ridden creepy crawlers?